Does Botox Help Treat Chronic Migraine?

Monthly Archives: May 2016

Migraine is a severely painful, debilitating form of a headache. Chronic migraine patients often experience this acute headache 15 or more days in a month. Botox is an important preventive treatment for chronic migraine. While many people recognize Botox as an anti-aging alternative to facial cosmetic surgery, it is also a proven and established preventive solution for chronic migraines.

Pain medications are usually not a sustainable approach to addressing the symptoms of chronic migraine. Therefore, a physician may prescribe a preventive medication such as Botox injections. Fellowship trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Eric Yavrouian, provides Botox treatment to patients in Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Greater Los Angeles CA, and surrounding locations.

Preventive Treatment

Many patients respond well to preventive medications that are aimed at reducing the frequency and severity of chronic migraines. A study in the Neurology journal revealed that nearly one-third of all patients with chronic migraines take preventive medications. This is where Botox comes in, which is commonly used in place of facial cosmetic surgery for patients who want non-surgical aesthetic procedures.

Botox is a proven and effective preventive treatment for chronic migraines. In 2010, Botox gained approval of the FDA as a preventive treatment for migraine. Since the FDA’s approval, Botox injectable procedure has become widely accepted among patients with chronic migraine. Experienced facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Yavrouian receives patients from Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Greater Los Angeles CA, and nearby areas.

How does it Work?

Botox treatment for migraine is usually administered once every three months over a span of 15 months. The Botox provider will inject multiple doses of the medication in targeted areas such as the forehead, temples, back of the head, neck, nasal bridge, and upper back. The purpose of this injectable treatment is to mitigate the symptoms of migraines.

The patient should not expected immediate relief with Botox injections. Improvement will occur in about two weeks. In fact, some of the patients may not gain any relief from the first round of injections. According to the American Headache Society, additional treatments can sometimes be more successful.

Candidacy for Botox

A variety of treatment options for chronic migraine patients are available today, and Botox is one of them. In some cases, the provider may not recommend Botox injections until other treatment options have exhausted. If the patient has a low tolerance for other migraine medications, Botox may be chosen as the first option.

Benefits

Botox injectable treatment is virtually painless. Each injection may only cause a very minor sting. The entire treatment session with Botox can be completed quickly. Working people can simply receive a 15-minute treatment session during their lunch break, and then return to work. No downtime is involved with this treatment in most cases.

Insurance

The sticker price for Botox injections will usually be covered under insurance when it is used to treat chronic migraines. Prior to the start of the treatment, the patient should talk to the insurance provider. A few other procedures or tests may have to be undertaken to fulfill the insurance requirements.

For more information about treatments and procedures by Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Dr. Eric J. Yavrouian, serving patients in and around Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank and the Greater Los Angeles, CA area call 818-241-2150 or click here to contact him for a consultation.

Face is the most visually prominent part of the body, and any anomalies in facial features or signs of aging can be spotted quickly. However, a range of facial cosmetic surgery procedures are available today to provide a youthful and attractive facial appearance.

Leading facial plastic and reconstructive surgeonDr. Eric Yavrouian provides various surgical and non-surgical procedures for the face to patients in Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Greater Los Angeles CA, and surrounding locations.

Rhytidectomy

Rhytidectomy or facelift is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures designed to restore a tighter and firmer facial skin. In addition to skin tightening and providing a gentle lift to the sagging mid-face, the surgeon will also reposition and tighten the underlying weak muscles and connective tissue. Excess facial fat may be removed or redistributed to create an even look. The procedure can be performed using local anesthesia and mild sedation.

Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty or eyelid lift surgery can be performed on upper or lower or both eyelids to correct droopiness and restore younger looking eyes. If the vision is partially impaired due to sagging upper eyelid skin, it will also be corrected. Under eye bags and puffiness that can make a person look old and tired can be improved with blepharoplasty.

Facial Scar Revision

Facial scars can be made significantly smoother and less visible with this scar revision procedure. The procedure may involve recreating the incision, and moving the skin or even the scar to make it less conspicuous. Non-surgical techniques such as laser resurfacing and dermabrasion may be used additionally, particularly when the scars are raised. Keloid scars may first be treated with injectable medications to reduce their size.

Forehead Lift and Brow Lift

The latest approach to forehead lift and brow lift is endoscopic surgery. It involves placement of small incisions behind the hairline. The surgeon will use a scope to perform the surgery in a more precise and less invasive manner, resulting in reduced scarring and faster recovery. The procedure can smooth the forehead and raise the brows, and sometimes may even lower a high hairline to improve facial harmony.

Mentoplasty

Mentoplasty will involve either chin augmentation or reduction to correct facial balance. Chin augmentations surgery will involve placement of synthetic implants in a customized manner. If the incision is placed inside the mouth, the procedure will result in no visible scarring. In case of chin reduction surgery, the incision may be placed discreetly inside the mouth or under the chin. The surgeon will sculpt the bone to a more harmonious size.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty or nose reshaping surgery is designed to enhance the shape and size of the nose to make it more attractive and bring it in balance with the rest of the facial features. The incisions may be made inside the nose to keep the scarring invisible. However, in a more invasive surgery, the incision will be made discreetly in the area of skin separating the nostrils.

For more information about treatments and procedures by Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Dr. Eric J. Yavrouian, serving patients in and around Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank and the Greater Los Angeles, CA area call 818-241-2150 or click here to contact him for a consultation.

Eyelid lift surgery, clinically called blepharoplasty, is a cosmetic surgery procedure to rejuvenate the appearance of eyes. Recovery is an important part of this procedure, and the patient should diligently follow the surgeon’s instructions in the post-operative phase to achieve a safer and faster recovery. At the time of initial consultation, the surgeon will discuss all aspects, including recovery.

Immediate Post-Operative Phase

Eyelid lift cosmetic surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. Patient should have someone to drive them back home after the surgery. Just after the procedure, the patient’s eyes may be covered with bandages for some time. Once the bandages are removed, the attending staff will apply cold compresses or lubricating ointment to keep the patient comfortable.

Detailed post-operative instructions will be provided to the patient before they leave for home. Pain medications and antibiotics to minimize infection risk will be prescribed for a few days. The first follow-up appointment may be fixed as per surgeon’s advice.

Minor swelling, bruising, itching or dry eye condition is likely to occur during the first few days of the recovery. Medications, ointments and cold compresses can be used as advised to manage these conditions. The surgeon may also prescribe eye drops to prevent dry eye.

Recovery in the First Few Weeks

The patient should avoid watching TV, reading, or surfing the Internet during the first week to minimize strain on the eyes. Excessive strain can cause dry eyes. As far as possible, the patient should maintain the head in an elevated position in the first few days to keep the bruising and swelling to a minimum. The surgeon may remove sutures at the end of the first week.

At this time, the patient may be able to return to their regular activities or go back to work. Dark sunglasses should preferably be worn for the first month when the patient leaves home. This will offer protection against sun and wind and minimize irritation. Frequent naps in the first few weeks can be useful because the eyes can get adequate rest.

Bending, lifting heavy weights, and strenuous exercises should be avoided for two to three weeks following blepharoplasty. The blood flow to the eyes should not be excessive until the recovery is complete. Facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Yavrouian receives patients from Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Greater Los Angeles CA, and nearby areas for eyelid lift surgery.

Overall Recovery Period

While the patient can resume most of their normal activities after the first week, it will be several weeks before they recover completely. It will take time for the redness and swelling around the eyes to fade away entirely. Over a few months after the surgery, the results will establish progressively and the eyes will appear more youthful and alert.

For more information about treatments and procedures by Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Dr. Eric J. Yavrouian, serving patients in and around Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank and the Greater Los Angeles, CA area call 818-241-2150 or click here to contact him for a consultation.